


Surviving 1989

by ElliotHarmony



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, But not as bad as canon danny is 18 and vlad is around 22 or 23, Fluff, Gen, I totally forgot to clarify that bc the title but this is in the 80s early 90s, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, canon is my bitch, danny and jack are brothers, nothing is plotted or planned for this you guys will be just as surprised as i am, this fic is completely self indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27114448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliotHarmony/pseuds/ElliotHarmony
Summary: It’s sort of like a post-impressionist mess. Like some giant satire of Seurat. Vlad never paid that much attention to that Art History class his father had insisted he take in high school, just enough to get good grades but not nearly enough to retain anything important. But this, he thinks, is maybe what art is supposed to be about. Only if he could have experienced this before he’d gotten a B on his final essay. It’s only been two weeks since Daniel had carved his place into Vlad’s life and it’s like he’s always been there.——————Or: Vlad becomes infinitely entangled with Daniel Fenton.
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Jack Fenton, Danny Fenton & Vlad Masters, Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters, Jack Fenton & Vlad Masters, Jack Fenton/Maddie Fenton
Comments: 14
Kudos: 82





	1. AC/DC

**Author's Note:**

> I needed a break from one of the more serious works I've been writing and so I decided to fall back on some good DP content. Vlad and Danny is a vent ship for me I always write it when I'm stressed x-x
> 
> This was Heavily inspired by a one shot by phantomgasm (chap 10 in "two halfa make a whole") and i got the idea to write something similar and a bit longer i hope its different enough to make it distinguishable. This is mostly for fun and also to let myself vent my frustrations a bit.
> 
> (Changed name: College Days > Surving 1989)

Vlad tapped the steering wheel with growing impatience. The airport was always this busy. That’s something he knew as an intrinsic part of adult life, but it always feels like whatever day you have to pick someone else up at the airport everyone else decided they also had to travel too. Even at the less eventful airports such as Dane County Regional, it seemed to take absolutely forever for anybody to get things done. And he was absolutely sure that Jack had probably gotten effectively sidetracked inside by some new hippie-esque style coffee shop and completely forgotten they were there for a reason. They had a deal that if the man wasn’t back in thirty minutes then Vlad would forgo his premium limited-time parking spot right outside the baggage claims and just walk in there himself. Sure they’d have to walk a bit further with all the bags, but it was better than Vlad having to wait in the summer heat for as long as it took Jack to realize he was taking forever. Sometimes he wondered how Maddie dealt with him at all, and then he was reminded that technically he’d been Jack’s roommate these past three years so maybe he was the one with the secrets to dealing with him after all. It was kind of like getting a new puppy except they never mellowed out with age or learned from their mistakes. Though maybe that unbridled ignorance was what drew both him and Maddie to the man in the first place.

Glancing at the clock on the dash, Jack had five minutes until Vlad went inside to drag him by the ear to the car himself. He would just have to hope that their new guest had already been retrieved by then since Vlad wasn’t going to do what Jack should have been doing for the past half hour. The plane should have definitely landed by now, assuming there weren’t any major delays, so here’s hoping the boy knew how and where to meet with Jack himself. He’d been skeptical of this entire situation at first. Last semester Jack had come to him nearly in tears, a truly odd sight for the man nearly always brimming in happiness, and asked him if his brother could move in with them at the start of the new school year. A brother that despite Vlad going to Jack’s hometown the past two Christmases, he’d never met or heard about until then. Apparently, his family didn’t talk about him much as he took up the role of the black sheep of the family. An uncomfortable topic. Jack explained vaguely (a skill Vlad didn’t know the man possessed) that his brother had ended up getting accepted to their school in the Physics Department of all places and he needed a place to stay. At first, he’d been against it, of course, arguing that his brother could just stay in the dorms and he didn’t necessarily have to live with them. But now it’s five months later and Jack Fenton happens to be a very persuasive man when he likes to be.

Jack failed to tell him much about his mystery brother. Though as the months before now drolled on, he wondered if that was because the man was protecting his privacy or maybe Jack just didn’t know too much about him in the first place. While Vlad liked to believe when push came to shove that Jack was a reliable friend it was infamous that if you wanted a secret to be kept he wasn’t the man to do the job. Not that he did it on purpose, he just happened to blurt things about at the worst times and everyone around had to roll with it best they could. It at least made everything about their friendship feel far more genuine. So when Vlad received clipped answers and blank confusion when Jack was asked about his brother, he was more convinced that he just didn’t know the answers at all rather than he was omitting them. That was easily explained, though. According to Jack, the two of them had about a five year age difference, give or take. His brother had been in middle school when Jack had crossed state lines to go to Wisconsin and apparently they hadn’t seen each other in person since he’d left. Vlad tried not to judge the odd circumstances of their relationship, it wasn’t like he had the best one with his family either. He wouldn’t have had to follow Jack like a puppy to Amity Park every year if he and his father got along normally. All he could say is that Jack spoke with his regular amount of transparent admiration when talking about his little brother, what he did know about him, and that was all he needed.

Exactly one minute before Vlad was about to back up and turn around to the long-term use parking lot and go find that idiot himself, the passenger door flings open to reveal his best friend, heavily breathing in the doorway, “Pop the trunk, Vladdie! The Dan Man and I have arrived!” He has a huge grin plastered on his face like he had just won the lottery. Many of the times he’d mentioned his brother in the weeks before he got a similar ecstatic look on his face as if he couldn’t wait the moment he got to see him again. Jack has already left the front and gone all the way around by the time Vlad processes the command. Vlad bends down the console and pushes the little button meant to automatically open the back of the car.

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that.” The voice comes from the back of the car, right around the trunk probably. It’s softer than Vlad would have expected from anyone in the Fenton family. In the times he’d met Jack’s extended family he’d noted they all tended to be big and loud-mouthed, speaking their minds with as much gusto as they could all possibly build up. He sounds tired and snappy with his remark, but there also isn’t much real heat to his words either. Vlad remembers trying to shake the moniker ‘Vladdie’ himself, but that just ended up in a campaign where the entire Chemistry Department took it upon themselves to use it. The movement was mostly spearheaded by Maddie unsurprisingly. He can see why ‘Dan Man’ was an unfortunate nickname to be deemed by Jack Fenton, but one simply had to make peace with these things or havoc would be reaped for your insubordination. Maybe all the years apart had made the boy forget this fact. He tried to sneak a look at him from the review mirror, but unfortunately, both the trunk was up and Jack’s admittedly massive frame was in the way, completely concealing him. He expected him to be as big as Jack, but that didn’t seem to be the case since his friend was the only one of the two tall enough to be seen over the open trunk.

Jack does all the heavy lifting for the two full-size suitcases that his brother brought with him. He thinks they must have been difficult to lug around the airport, at least they would be for Vlad. They seem to be quietly discussing something since Jack has paused his packing and is giving full undivided attention to his brother behind the trunk. It’s definitely a privilege to get that. He can’t tell what they’re saying, mostly because it’s the younger sibling talking the most and unlike Jack, it seems he learned the definition of volume control. It takes a second for Jack to process whatever he’s saying and respond. While it’s far more audible than his brother, Vlad still doesn’t hear all of what Jack says. He catches something about their parents, how the conversation took that turn he doesn’t know, but Jack sounds a bit defensive about whatever it is. Despite the smile on his face, Vlad notices that it looks a bit strained at whatever’s being said back to him until he hears the soft voice once again loud enough for him to hear, “It’s whatever Jack, I’m not pissed or anything. You don’t have to make any excuses about it.” And with that, the last suitcase is shoved in without much care and the trunk along with it. Vlad finally gets a view of Daniel Fenton for the first time.

He’s not being hyperbolic when he says that seeing him sort of felt like a slap in the face. He’d really been expecting a mammoth of a guy, but in front of Jack was a boy who was short and lithe in every sense of the words. He couldn’t reach more than 5’4, and Vlad was pretty sure he was being generous with his assessment even from here. Unlike his brother who had a natural amount of pure muscle and fat in his chest and stomach, Daniel was thin and wiry at best, underweight at absolute worst. He thinks that maybe just as Jack was naturally meant to be a big man, Daniel might have just meant to be smaller. Looking at the two side by side was a bit jarring, mostly because you could actually tell that they were brothers pretty easily. Their facial similarities were spot on, same jet black hair and blue eyes and while Daniel’s face was thinner their structures were more or less similar. Daniel looked tired more than anything. He had prominent bags under his eyes and seemed to be one second from just passing out right then and there. Jack wasn’t really picking up on it, but then again he’d never been good at picking up cues. Thankfully Daniel takes it upon himself to move to the back door and prompts Jack to follow him into the car.

Daniel slides in the backseat quietly and buckles up. Jack throws himself in the passenger seat beside him, sans seat belt. Vlad can already see the behavioral differences between the siblings clear as day. Jack turns to him, “Well, Vladdie, this is my lil’ bro Danny. Danny this is my good pal Vladdie!” He doesn’t know what surprises him more, that Jack actually followed through on dropping ‘The Dan Man’ or how polite he sounded while saying it. He still had that ecstatic vigor that was a Jack Fenton trademark, but it was like for once he was being careful with his words instead of just saying whatever came to mind. Daniel managed a small smile and wave though it wasn’t nearly as genuine as his brothers always were. That was the miracle of siblings Vlad supposed, how two people brought up in nearly the same environment could end up so different from each other. Vlad wants to just leave and get home in time to review next semester’s syllabus his professor already sent him. Jack does what he does best and rambles whether or not anyone’s listening to a thing he says. Daniel stays quiet in the backseat, only occasionally humming or muttering one-word answers to indicate he was paying attention. Though if the face he was making the times Vlad checked on him through the rearview mirror indicated anything, he wasn’t. He looked just about as tired as Vlad was.

One of Vlad’s big objections to Daniel coming to stay with them had been the image of two Jacks running around causing havoc around the entire campus. Definitely both his and the entirety of Wisconsin’s biggest nightmare. When Jack had pleaded the fact that Daniel didn’t have nearly as much energy in his reserves than he had, Vlad had politely suggested that was a lie. Though looking at him, Daniel definitely looked like he’d run out of steam long before Jack ever does. He didn’t have many other reasons to decline, which was probably why it had been so easy to convince him before. Thanks to his position as a respected TA in his department he had a recently acquired apartment subsidized through his grad program. The news of the apartment being secured for him last winter had been what prompted Jack to start to seriously suggest Daniel living with them in the first place. It was a more than reasonable size, three bedrooms, and fully renovated. Definitely better than the dorms they’d slugged it out through the first four years. Daniel should be forever grateful that he had an opportunity to have a personal bathroom, unlike how all of the peers in his year wouldn’t. He shuddered at the reminder of the toe fungus the guy in the dorm across the hall acquired after not wearing disposable slippers in the shower. He wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemies.

The drive is mostly uneventful except for when they drive past any restaurant Jack has ever set foot in and he feels obligated to explain to Daniel what is and isn’t great about it. Like how ‘Porkies BBQ’ has great ribs but the wait lines are way too long on Saturdays and it’s better to get them on a Tuesday afternoon instead. It makes Vlad smile a bit at his antics. It was never boring with him around. The apartments were in a complex only a five-minute drive away from campus. They’d been newly built in these past few years meaning most of their neighbors were either in similar positions as them or new to town. He even had his own designated parking spot. Jack takes it upon himself to book it to the trunk and take Daniel’s suitcases before either he or Vlad could object. Though it only took one shared look between them to decide that neither of them minded a bit. He meets Daniel’s eyes for the first time and notes another difference between his brother. They were both blue, but Daniel’s were just a shade lighter. They were lucky enough to get a first floor apartment which means Jack doesn’t have to go too absurdly far carrying the bags to get there.

The apartment is immaculate, though Vlad attributes that to the fact that he and Jack only fully moved in a month prior in July. Their dorm room was proof that it wouldn’t last long if he and Daniel didn’t pull some serious weight with the housekeeping. All of the furniture was there before they moved in, all of it cheap and basic wood pieces that Vlad could assure got the job done. He wasn’t too sure about where Jack’s room stood in all this, he hadn’t braved in there since they’d moved in, but he couldn’t imagine his claims remained accurate in there. Not that it mattered, Jack had purposely taken the second biggest room which was across the apartment from Vlad’s and what would become Daniel’s rooms were. Jack speaks up as soon as he drops off both suitcases inside the empty room. He leans on the kitchen counter and gets Daniel’s attention, “So Danny Boy! You gotta tell me everything you haven’t told me on the phone since I’ve been gone! Like, uh, how’re those friends of yours that always ran around the house? What’re their names? Sam and Tucker?” Daniel had just begun to relax for the first time since he came into their car from the airport but the question makes him tense up again. Vlad catches the death glare Daniel sends Jack, it feels bitter and hateful and it makes Vlad’s throat dry up momentarily. It only lasts for a fraction of a second before he seems to realize what he’s doing and looks to be mentally slapping himself.

Daniel crosses his arms over his chest, “Sam’s, uhm, great. She’s going to NYU for that environmental stuff she’s into and everything. She’s probably already protesting or something right now. I really owe her and her parents a lot. They’ve helped me a lot these past few years.” He clips his voice at the end, obviously trying to indicate he was done talking about the subject. But Jack clearly doesn’t get the hint and presses about this other person, Tucker. Daniel instantly looks even more uncomfortable if that was even possible. He knew Jack was bad at reading people but he had to see his brother didn’t want to talk about it. Daniel groans softly and rubs his temple, likely fending off a lasting headache, “Tucker and I don’t really talk anymore, okay? Please don’t-”

“Oh no! You guys were inseparable when you guys were in diapers! What happened?” Daniel looks exasperated and more importantly pissed. It looks like he’s desperately trying not to blow up or yell, a feeling Vlad is more than familiar with. Honestly, Vlad’s wondering how crap Jack’s social skills are really if he can’t tell his own brother is stressed about this conversation.

Vlad is almost about to interject when Daniel huffs and lets out a shaky and bitter laugh, “Yeah well his dad socked me and said if I came near him again he’d bring out the shotgun so that put a bit of a damper on our friendship, kay? Now could you stop pushing it, Jack? I just want to get a shower and sleep off this jet lag.” Usually, when someone was glib with him, Jack either didn’t notice it or reverted to a teary mess trying to make amends. He seemed to understand Daniel was upset with him, enough for him to frown at the statement and look at least a bit sheepish, though he wasn’t making as big of a deal as he usually would. He just laughed nervously and gestured down the hallway to where their shared bathroom was. Daniel only graced Vlad with a nod before disappearing behind the door and turning on the shower. Both him and Jack watched the door for a second like he was going to magically appear again despite the fact he’d already turned on the shower.

When he’s sure that no one’s going to come back, Vlad turns to Jack and raises an eyebrow, “So are you going to tell me what all that was about or are we not going to speak about this?” Jack startles and gives another nervous laugh.

“Ah well Danny’s always been like that, all serious and everything so that’s just how he is.” Jack starts, obviously reminiscing about some lost family memory Vlad wasn’t privy to. Jack struggles with his next words. He doesn’t look like he knows exactly what to say, “I don’t think he likes me too much. I don’t know much about him and our parents don’t like talking about him and they don’t invite him to family stuff so it’s hard to get close. I’m just hoping now that he’s coming to school I’ll get to hear more about everything that’s been going on! I think he might be upset that I left him home alone, he and Pops always butt heads all the time, ya know?” Jack sighs but that big smile is already back on his face and hope in his eyes, “I’m sure that Danny and I’ll be fine, we’ve got forever to make up for lost time!” Vlad wants to say he’s being more than foolishly optimistic. That look that Daniel gave him, no matter how much of an accident it was, wasn’t something that could be fixed with just some quality sibling time. Family affairs usually seeped with complex emotions tied to years of context, his own being a great example. After all, there was a reason he never used his father’s expanse of wealth for anything and why he didn’t go home during breaks. These things were more complicated than Jack seemed to realize.

Though he could sympathize with Daniel’s reaction to the Fenton patriarch. The first time he’d met Ezekiel Fenton, there was that unmistakable feeling of overarching authority that was always suffocating. Vlad’s own father had been similar, though with more of Eastern European flair to the tyrannical way he ran his household. Unlike Vlad’s father, a wealthy immigrant who moved here to branch out his company, Ezekiel was a two-time war veteran who commanded his children similar to the way he’d commanded his troops previously. He could feel the impressive environment every time they were in a room together, even Jack behaved as much as he could if his father was nearby. He hadn’t known him for very long, but Daniel seemed like the type to mouth off, which probably brewed trouble. Not that Vlad blamed him if he did. While Ezekiel had insulted Jack’s intelligence more than once the holidays Vlad had spent in his house, Jack had also been praised for his strength and relative success in school. It was always some backhanded compliment sandwiched with insults, but Jack went around the house trying to scrape up as much positive attention he could get. He disagreed when Vlad tried to suggest it was anything other than tough love, his opinion was in the minority especially in rural Illinois where Amity Park was, so he couldn’t blame the man.

Jack eventually retired to his room when their cordless phone (okay, he used his father’s money for  _ something _ ) rang, by the tone of his voice he could tell the person on the other end of the line was more than likely Maddie. As soon as Jack started using his ‘gushy’ voice, Vlad tuned out and decided now would be a good time to get on with his study review. He’d lost half of the day thanks to the airport excursion. He’d been mildly upset at losing the third bedroom, he’d requested it in the first life so he could have an office, but setting up his desk by the living room window looking out into the court of the complex wasn’t too bad either. Fifteen minutes later he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening and quick steps towards Daniel’s bedroom. Vlad smirked, he’d forgotten to bring a pair of clean clothes with him. It was the sort of dumb mistake that made Daniel seem more like a human person than this weird mythological creature Vlad had been imagining him as these past few months nor the detached non-person he’d acquainted himself with these past few hours. Vlad continues studying in relative peace, he’s learned to be able to tune out the constant blabbering of Jack and Maddie talking on the phone for hours. He couldn’t believe he’d had a crush on Maddie Freshman year, he was sure glad he grew out of that.

Daniel emerges from his room after awhile. He’s purposely quiet, his eyes roaming through the apartment as if the shadows were going to cut his head off. Vlad only noticed him because he’d happened to look in his direction on accident. He was wearing what kids these days might claim to be pajamas consisting of a large  — though Vlad would bet the actual size couldn’t be more than a medium  — AC/DC shirt and a basic pair of boxers. When he didn’t find whatever he was searching for, he relaxed and sighed with relief. Vlad tried not to seem like he was watching like a weirdo, though that was harder said than done. Daniel didn’t seem to mind though as he stumbled through the kitchen to find a glass and fill it with sink water. He looks around only to settle on Vlad, still pretending like he was studying and not watching, “Where did Jack go?” His voice remains soft and unsure as it’s been this whole time, but it’s less harsh than he’d been hearing all day. Vlad pretends to finish up writing something down and turns to the younger boy.

“He’s in his room talking to his girlfriend.” Daniel’s eyes widen at the word ‘girlfriend’. He hadn’t known. He knew they’d had limited conversations only on the phone for barely an hour at a time, but that oaf hadn’t thought of telling him about his long-term girlfriend? There’s a small blush that forms on Daniel’s face and he looks away a little embarrassed. Vlad takes a bit of pity on him and decides to give him a quick rundown so he doesn’t fudge it up when they go to have lunch with Maddie tomorrow, “They met Freshman year and have been dating since their Sophmore year. Practically inseparable. We’re supposed to meet with her tomorrow but it doesn’t surprise me he didn’t say anything about it. Such things tend to escape him.” Daniel seems surprised that he was given that information and nods slowly while digesting it.

He takes a sip of his water and comes closer to where Vlad is sitting, “Thanks, we haven’t talked about personal things a lot so you’re kinda saving my ass right now.” Vlad huffs out one of those sort-of laughs through his nose without meaning to. He wants to ask about it, but not everyone is not as much of an open book as Jack is. Vlad would get easily irritated if someone started asking about his personal life hours after meeting them. Daniel, finally showing similarity to his brother, doesn’t hesitate to help himself to look over Vlad’s notes over his shoulder. Neither of them seemed to understand the concept of personal space apparently. His eyes roam over the papers, “Whatcha working on? I can’t remember what major you are but that looks like a lot of work.” Vlad makes a show of snatching his papers from view and sending a non-heated glare the younger boy’s way.

“If you must know, I’m getting a head start on next semesters work. Developing the basis for what I’m going to use as my thesis. If it looks like a lot then it is, and it’s likely you’ll be facing a similar dilemma. I hear the Physics Department is getting quite competitive.” He hears the best laugh he’s ever heard in his entire life. It’s wholly unlike Jack’s burly full-body one that comes straight from his gut and up his throat. Even Maddie’s little jingle of a laugh wasn’t comparable. Daniel’s is carefree and soft like a melody, like he doesn’t even think twice about it. It’s the most genuine thing he’s done all day. Vlad blushes causing him to turn away and covers his face with his sleeve, faking a cough so the action doesn’t look so unnatural. When thinks that maybe his face doesn’t look like he stayed out in the sun too long he clears his throat and turns back to the boy. He’s got a stupid smirk on his face that almost makes Vlad want to scream. Or smack him. Or both. Instead, he takes a deep breath, “Also, if you must know, I’m studying Biochemistry. So is Jack’s girlfriend Maddie. Jack’s been focusing on Mechanical Engineering.”

Daniel rolls his eyes but the mirth doesn’t leave his body language, “Yeah I know what his is. I helped him decide before he left.” Vlad’s eyes widened at the claim. It was true that Jack hadn’t had any difficulty in deciding his major since the moment they’d met. While Vlad had taken about a year to truly decide what he wanted to commit to, Jack had decided right away without taking criticism. Daniel smirk turned into a soft smile and he chuckled about something Vlad didn’t know about, “Pops thought he was too stupid to do it and he almost actually went with something in management but I told him he should do whatever the hell he wanted to and I guess he got the guts to do it. I always knew he was smart enough even if everyone else in that town thought he was dumber than a sack of bricks.” Daniel’s voice falls bittersweet and he finished up his glass of water. There’s something unsaid getting lost in translation. Vlad would probably be able to dissect what he was saying if Jack was saying it, but Daniel is a completely different complex beast.

“I’m glad you could encourage him. I’ve met your father, he certainly wasn’t doing anything of the sort.” Vlad doesn’t think about what he said until he sees Daniel tense and get a defensive look in his eyes. Okay, father is a touchy subject, he already knew that. Daniel fake coughs and uses the gesture to put space between them, Vlad hadn’t noticed how close they’d gotten until then. He would never admit it, but he felt guilt crawl up his spine.

Daniel ends up ignoring the sentence completely, “Has anyone ever told you that you talk like a snob?” Vlad chokes on his own spit. An eye for an eye he supposes.

After that the two split up, Daniel depositing the cup in the sink and then holing himself back inside his room, and Vlad going back to his papers again. Jack eventually emerges from his own room to return the phone and say goodnight to Vlad (he yells a goodnight to Daniel though there’s no response). Eventually, Vlad decides he’s done enough studying for tonight and returns his materials. That night as he sleeps he thinks about the many facets of Daniel Fenton and he can’t get that stupid little laugh paired with that annoying little smirk out of his head.


	2. The Great Gatsby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man idk why I've been in such a rut with my writing the past few weeks but I've been trying to get past it. This was supposed to be like fun and easy to write since I didn't have a plan but now realize there is in fact a reason to plot things out lol.
> 
> Anyways time for Vlad to be a simp.

For as long as Vlad had lived with Jack, which had been for most of his adult life so far, he had always been the first one up. Some days he doubted how Jack had survived this long without anyone doing the basic morning chores for him. Usually, by the time the large man finally got himself out of bed, Vlad had already made enough coffee for the both of them and prepared a big enough breakfast that Jack wouldn’t start complaining about how hungry he was on the way to class. It wouldn’t surprise him if Jack assumed all those little things were just what magically appeared in the morning by a fairy. And Vlad didn’t particularly mind this dynamic. It gave him time to think and plan out the day ahead of him without any interruption. The mechanical notions of adding the grounds into the fresh filter, filling the reservoir, and watching the liquid gold spill as the pot underneath fills up had a calming effect. It was the kind of routine that made life as hectic as any twenty-something college student’s just a little slower. Routines had been a staple of Vlad’s life from a young age and the habits formed from always having a schedule to fall back on. It was one of the few things instilled in him by his father that he didn’t completely reject or hate. It made him do a double-take to see none other than Daniel, sitting silently at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of black coffee in front of him already. Another one sits at the seat across from him like he’d been expecting someone. When he looks in the kitchen, a fresh pot is still in the coffee maker.

Daniel looks natural where he sits, reading a beat-up book that’s lacking an adequate cover. Unlike Vlad, he didn’t take it upon himself to make himself presentable before he left his room and is still wearing the same outfit he had on last night. This time looking more than slept in. His hair is wild and unbrushed, but Vlad can’t say it looks very bad. Just a tad unprofessional, but he’s lived with Jack all this time so he can’t exactly nitpick. Though Daniel looking messy and unkempt is somehow a lot more poetic than Jack doing it. Maybe it’s the lack of BO. It’s almost some sort of organized chaos that Vlad couldn’t hope to understand right now. Ever since they’d met the boy had been an enigma. He hadn’t even known each other for more than a day and half of it they’ve been asleep, but somehow it feels like Daniel has always been here. He doesn’t know what to say to this scene, he’s never confronted anything quite like this in his entire life. The energy in the room feels so neutral and uncharged it almost makes him want to act out just so there could be something to feel. He decided to walk over to the chair with the second mug without saying anything. It couldn’t be for Jack, could it? He was a late riser, the coffee would go cold before he woke up probably. But how did Daniel know if he would be up early? As soon as he reaches for the second mug he notices Daniel’s lip twitching up in amusement, “I assumed you’d take it black, I couldn’t find the sugar and creamer.” He claims and flips a page of his novel.

Vlad blinks, “I take one sugar. The cubes are in the container on the counter by the pot.” Daniel nods and without being expressly asked, closes his book and rises to go and fetch the container. Vlad’s eyes don’t leave him the entire time. He didn’t really know why things so basic seemed so foreign whenever Daniel was the one doing them, but here they were. Vlad notices on Daniel’s way back that there isn’t a trace of breakfast anywhere yet, “Do you need me to cook something?” Daniel doesn’t pause at his question and just takes out a sugar cube to deposit into Vlad’s mug.

“I don’t really eat breakfast, makes me feel sick.” He mumbles softly. He looks tired still which makes Vlad wonder why he woke up this early in the first place. They were supposed to meet with Maddie at noon so there wasn’t any need for him to. Daniel manages a small smile at Vlad when he sips his coffee. Vlad thought he should be a bit more annoyed that his routine that he worked so hard building up was smashed down with a sledgehammer, but the scene going on right now was so rightfully domestic he couldn’t complain as he’d like to. If it was Jack doing this (though Jack would  _ never  _ entertain the idea of doing something like this) he might have gotten in a bad mood for the rest of the day for the simple virtue that he hadn’t been able to make his own coffee. But Daniel is somehow different. And blissfully unaware of how passionate Vlad could end up being about things like this, so even if he was upset if he said anything he would be the bad guy. The thing is, Daniel was something new and flashy and all of the things, as someone raised in a traditional way Vlad was, he was naturally averted to. It had taken him years to appreciate Jack’s spontaneity and energy for the gifts they were. However, Vlad found himself uncharacteristically reveled in this weird aura surrounding the enigma that was Daniel Fenton.

Vlad knows that even though they’re going to have a fairly early lunch today if he doesn’t make Jack a full course breakfast today he’s going to throw a fit the entire way there. Not a temper tantrum per se, but even someone like Jack could have his moments of irritability like everyone else. It surprised Vlad too. So he takes his mug to the kitchen counter and starts to take out what he needs to make simple eggs and toast, just a lot of it. He doesn’t need too much, but Jack would never settle for anything under a plate-full. When he glances back, Daniel once again has his book open, his forehead pinched like he’s concentrating too hard. From this angle, he can see the vague inside of the book only to find it’s covered completely in page markers and annotations. If the length of them were anything to go by they were fairly detailed. He almost burns the first round of eggs on the saucer just trying to catch stray words from the small but messy writing decorating the margins. He still can’t make out the title that usually took residence at the tops of the pages, camouflaged by the notes around it. Vlad decided that so far Daniel has been a good guy, if not a bit touchy, so he might as well just come out and ask, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask what it is you’re reading?” Vlad doesn’t take his eyes off the stove, unwilling to appear as invested in this as he is.

Daniel hums casually and audibly flips a page, like he’s making a point, “Nothing special.  _ The Great Gatsby _ .” The way he says it alludes that it actually is something special to him. Vlad tries to think back to 11th Grade English Lit when he’d done a report on the book. He hadn’t even touched a copy since then, but he remembered it as a decent read if not a bit short and convoluted. The pan sizzles and he flips an egg to cook over medium. Jack preferred scrambled eggs but Vlad wasn’t feeling up to the extra steps that would require. He thinks that he could have related to the book back when he had that almost relationship-ruining crush on Maddie. He almost self-destructed their entire friend group just because he thought of himself as above the rest, because he was denying the real reasons he was enamored with both Jack and Maddie. In real life, Maddie was not Daisy. Much like the character, she had represented perfection and charm, but in all realism, neither of them were paragons of virtue. They were human. A trait he’d long forgotten to see at the hands of his father’s lessons in humanity. Vlad shakes his head. People could always be so blind to reality.

He glances back to the writing twisted across the filled margins. Daniel seemed to be passionate about the book at least. The spine was creased with use and several of the pages were bent or ripped from years of use, he’d had to have opened it a million times over to produce the natural wear and tear. He hadn’t pegged Daniel for one to read the classics, though he also hadn’t pegged him for one to go into a SMET course either. He had a sort of aloof and uncaring charm to him that many of the students Vlad met didn’t have. Jack wasn’t a typical research student either, so maybe subverting expectations just ran in the family. Two pieces of toast pop up from the toaster with a ding, prompting him to replace them with two more plain ones, “You seem to like it though. It’s a good read to be certain.” He isn’t expecting to get a heavy scoff at the statement. That makes Vlad turn around, offended.

Daniel bunny-ears the page he’s on, a redundant thing to do since there a fair amount of other pages bent too, and closes the book again. He glares at it like it just killed his family, “I can’t stand it. It’s a pretty stupid book, if you ask me.” There’s a lot of questions running through Vlad’s mind at that moment. The most prevalent, who actively marks through a book that they hate? Daniel sighs and takes an extra-long sip of his coffee. He looks run ragged at that moment, the world on his considerably skinny shoulders, “I think Jay’s an idiot. He loved someone that much and all he got for it was being broken-hearted and dead. I couldn’t imagine putting so much energy into something and it all going to shit like that. Every single person in this book is a dumbass.” Something about the way Daniel says it tells Vlad that he can imagine it. Daniel was young, but talking to him felt years more mature than talking to his brother (though that was particularly true for almost anyone compared to Jack). There was a certain wisdom when he spoke that pointed to growing up too quickly and living life too much at a time.

Vlad finishes up the last of the eggs and toast, taking care to put an adequate amount of butter so Jack doesn’t complain about tastelessness. He should be getting up in a couple of minutes, hopefully. If he didn’t stumble out in maybe ten Vlad would knock on his door until he did. He doesn’t wait for his roommate to come out and just begins to eat across the table from Daniel, who’s looking a little like a kicked puppy staring into his half-empty mug of coffee. Vlad decides to implore in whatever this conversation is supposed to be, “That’s a cynical point of view. I don’t believe the point was about how much he loved but more so about the way in which he attempted to garner it. He pushed his own misinformed assumptions on Daisy that she could never live up to and hurt plenty of people while he did it. He was naive and hopeful for an ending he was never entitled to, which might be idiotic to some people, but I believe that’s an oversimplification.” Daniel’s eyes resemble a child’s, the way he hangs on every word. He can tell the boy is thinking about what he said, he can practically see the gears turning inside his head. Vlad decides to add more, “I can’t say the ending isn’t tragic, but it’s fitting, isn’t it? Idealism and passion don’t always pan out the way we hope it does. Things simply don’t always turn out in our favor no matter how hopelessly we yearn for it. A tragedy of life.” Daniel takes in his words with a revere.

They don’t talk for a moment, not until Daniel quietly mumbles, “Doesn’t he deserve a happy ending, though?” Daniel wasn’t cynical, he was hopelessly romantic. Vlad can tell he wasn’t exactly supposed to hear that part so he doesn’t dignify it with an answer and continues to eat in silence. He thought maybe this change in routine would make him irritable, but it was nice having a conversation like this in the morning to wake himself up. It’s a nice silence until Daniel, apparently bored already, ruins it, “So do you have like a girlfriend? Just wanted to know ‘cause we’re sharing a wall and everything.” When he looks up, Daniel is sporting that mirthful smirk. Like the discussion they’d just had was a distant memory. He was already beginning to understand that Daniel was an apparent master at changing the subject when he sought fit. Vlad almost laughs at the idea of him having an actual woman over. He’d dated Harriet for a month a year ago, which ended with both of them awkwardly confiding in each other they weren’t even attracted to each other before going their separate ways. And he’d had his stupid fixation with Maddie. That was about it, he hadn’t been popular in high school despite his wealth and girls generally didn’t look twice at him. Daniel was a bit on the small side, but with his demeanor, Vlad suspected girls found him to have that ‘bad boy’ charm that movies these days glorified.

Vlad sends an exasperated look Daniel’s way, “What made you believe I was popular with the women here? Perhaps my sweater vest?” He’s unsure of his own self-deprecating joke so his voice wavers halfway through it, but the laugh he earns is more than enough reward. Daniel laughs like Vlad just told the funniest joke he’s ever heard. Vlad would have the decency to feel offended if he wasn’t struck with the same wonder he was yesterday when Daniel laughed. His eyes crinkle and sparkle in a way that’s so captivating, Vlad doesn’t even realize he’s staring. He finds that he wants to unravel the mystery of everything about Daniel Fenton. What makes someone so pessimistic and so assured in himself at the same time? How is it so easy for him to laugh like that?

“Yeah, I should’ve assumed you were a loser with no game.” Daniel snorts at his own joke. Vlad can’t help but to roll his eyes and chuckle along with him, he hadn’t only walked in that one, but opened the door for being made fun of. Vlad wants to ask if Daniel has a girlfriend somewhere in Amity Park missing him. Or maybe he was dating that Sam girl Jack had mentioned yesterday and they were attempting long-distance. He didn’t ask. He didn’t think he liked the thought of either answer. That’s when Jack comes barreling out of his bedroom with the bravado of someone who could only be described as a ‘morning person’. Vlad chuckles at Daniel, who jumps up in his chair and almost topples it over. He doesn’t knock down the chair, but the almost finished coffee in front of him isn’t so lucky. Thankfully he had already drunk a good amount of it, so the mess wasn’t bad. He could still see the new tenseness and irritation taking over the boy’s body language, “Morning, Jack.” He mumbles under his breath before he turns around to find a rag.

Jack, oblivious as ever, just grins and slaps Daniel on the back paired with a hearty laugh. Vlad doesn’t miss the way he flinches at the action, “Good morning, Danny Boy! Vladdie!” He sends a nod Vlad’s way in recognition and beelines to the eggs and toast on the counter. He piles it with the rest of what’s sitting there just like he did pretty much every morning. He also pours and fixes up his coffee with cream and sugars the way he likes it. The brothers return at the same time, Jack taking the seat between Vlad and Daniel’s on the side, and Daniel using the rag to clean up the spilled coffee. He was silent now, and right along with Vlad’s hunch from yesterday he was a lot more withdrawn with Jack there. He wanted to ask exactly what made Daniel so standoffish with his brother, but that wasn’t his business at this point, “Let’s dig in, you got anything to eat, Danny Boy?” Daniel hadn’t reseated himself yet and when he was asked he didn’t pause his wiping to answer.

He picks up the mug and shakes his head, “Not hungry, I’m gonna go get dressed, actually. So, uh, don’t hold up, ‘kay?” He carefully rinses out the mug and sets it inside the sink to be washed later. He makes sure to retrieve his book which had, thankfully, been out of the line of fire for the spilled coffee. Jack is at a bit of a loss as Danny walks away and disappears down the hallway into his room. He doesn’t look sad per se, sometimes it was hard to think he ever could be, but he seemed a bit dazed at the fact that Daniel wasn’t being very reciprocating with the familial affection. Vlad knows that something happened between the Fenton siblings, something big probably. But he wasn’t certain that Jack knew that there was some deep tension that made his brother irritable and detached whenever his overenthusiastic brother came into the room. It mostly felt like Jack thought all their problems came from lost time and Daniel had a completely different view on the situation. Vlad knew he personally could suffer from getting upset at invisible strife, actions from other people that he could swear were meant to humiliate him, but in reality, had nothing to do with him. He had to wonder if Daniel was experiencing something similar.

Sometime after breakfast and before they were supposed to leave to go down to the local diner,  _ Duncan’s _ , Daniel finds his way back to the living room where Vlad has found himself reading the morning paper and Jack has found himself enamored by a Kellog’s commercial. He’s wearing ripped jeans and a T-shirt/Flannel combo that reminds him of John Bender, though Vlad thinks the baggy clothes suit Daniel enough that it doesn’t feel like he’s trying too hard. Jack gets rightfully excited to see his brother again and begins babbling on about the menu selection at their favorite hang-out since they’d started university. Daniel is definitely in a better mood, Vlad suspects he took a nap, and while he doesn’t participate much in the conversation he tows it along well enough. Despite the awkward pauses and odd looks, there’s a flow to the two of them that comes naturally with someone you’ve known all your life. It’s almost like Daniel is fighting between his instinct to just socialize with his brother and whatever invisible wall has him so jumpy about it. He smiles easily enough at Jack’s jokes, and Vlad thinks they’re genuine, but that tension just never leaves. Sometimes Vlad himself will interject with his own commentary, which generally gets more engagement from both parties. Around 11:30 he suggests that they should get ready to leave.

Jack is still wholly attached to Daniel the entire drive there. Dry answers have never deterred Jack before, Vlad’s starting to draw a hypothesis that the reason for that is sitting in the backseat. It seemed he got a lot of practice talking to a wall long before he set foot on campus. It isn’t until they enter the carpark and see a familiar head of stark red curls waiting for them outside the glass doors that he stops his rambling. All of a sudden he shuts up just to look at her with absolute reverence, the same way he always does. Vlad chuckles fondly at the display. Glancing through the rearview mirror, Daniel looks more curious than anything. His eyebrow was raised and Vlad could admit he definitely looked young when he did that. Like a bratty little brother awkwardly hanging out with his older brother’s friends. Maddie’s eyes light up in much the same way when she finally notices them piling out of the car. The first thing the love-struck idiots do is tackle each other in a giggling mess, squealing about how much they missed each other. Vlad could state for a fact it hadn’t been longer than two days. He stays back to let them act out their kissfest and Daniel takes a place next to him, “Are they always like that?”

Vlad snorts, “Absolutely. Get ready for some intense third-wheeling.”

“Well you’ll be my fourth, won’t you?” Daniel’s voice is smooth and the sentence plays on repeat in Vlad’s mind before he can even think of properly responding. Was he… was he  _ flirting _ ? He’d meant it to be a joke, and here Daniel was, twisting it. He looks at him with a bit of an incredulous face. Only to be met with that anger-inducing smirk, one that basically screamed ‘gotcha’. Daniel breaks down in laughter again, Vlad’s peril at being fooled by a teenager going completely unnoticed by the couple whispering to each other in their own code a few feet away. Daniel's hand reaches up to rest on Vlad’s shoulder to steady himself. He’s practically pissing himself, the joke wasn’t even that funny! Vlad grumbles under his breath some less than savory words and Daniel wipes some stray tears from his eyes, “Man, you shoulda seen the look on your face, don’t have a stroke, dude.” His tone was joking, but there’s a pitch to it that casts doubt in Vlad’s mind. He quickly brushes it off. Daniel’s been crossing lines to tease him this entire time, which he doubted would stop anytime soon.

Vlad crosses his arms and tries to fight off the flush of embarrassment he’s sporting, “You’re an absolute child, I hope you know.” Daniel’s hand pats his shoulder once before sliding off. Vlad finds he kind of misses the closeness for some reason. 

“Yeah, yeah. I know, moneybags.” He says flippantly. Vlad wants to take offense to the moniker, and he really would if he didn’t find it at least a little impressive that he could just tell Vlad came from money. Even Jack had assumed him to be in the same class as him until he was told otherwise. Daniel is already making his way to Jack and Maddie with a polite smile, completely brushing away from Vlad. When he gets in their orbit, Jack expressively greets him into the conversation and begins to introduce them. Maddie gets just as excitable as her boyfriend did at the airport yesterday, going as far as to grab Daniel’s hands in a hardy handshake. Vlad wants to tease him about the fact that of their little group, he’s the shortest. Compared to Maddie, standing at an impressive 5’8, he looks like a Junior High student. If Daniel  _ really  _ wanted to play games and tease, he had a repertoire of height jokes at his disposal. Vlad feels self-assured with some new verbal weapons in case Daniel decided to joke around with him again. It was a little exciting, the prospect of having someone to do that with. Jack was always a little too oblivious. After Daniel and Maddie are a bit more acquainted, the group moves into the diner and takes their usual table near the back.

Jack and Maddie sit in one booth together and leave him and Daniel to share the one across. Not that he minds. The three veteran college students don’t even need to look at the menus to know what they want. The only one with a menu in his hands is the youngest Fenton. Daniel leans into him to whisper, “So, what do you usually get, then?” Vlad coughs and looks away. Everything Daniel does is embarrassing. He prattles his usual order off, a plain grilled cheese paired with another coffee if it was early enough. Daniel seems to take his order seriously to mind and closes his menu before he even has time to look at it. He directs his attention to Maddie and smiles, “So, how did you and my brother meet? I’m sorry to say he hasn’t mentioned it.” Even Jack blinks in momentary confusion thanks to Daniel’s polite tone. Vlad wouldn’t say Daniel has been  _ rude,  _ he would definitely say he’s been a bit of a little shit  — though that’s in the territory of teenagers. It feels fake, a bit of an act, but Maddie hasn’t been exposed to him for long, so she doesn’t really bat an eye.

She smiles, she and Jack share one of those lovesick looks that sometimes make Vlad feel sick. He is happy for them, he can just do without all the couple things all the time. Daniel, despite the smile set right on his face, feels to have the same opinion, “Ah, well. It was sort of like fate! We were in all the same Core Courses our freshman year and we just happened to get a group project with each other. Then Jacky told me he was an engineer in my department and the rest is history. I come up with all the complicated ideas and he builds them up. Your brother’s a real catch.” Daniel’s eyes light up at the praise Jack is receiving. Vlad might not have been able to tell if he wasn’t sitting next to him, but he’s practically shaking in his seat.

“That’s exciting. You’ve got no idea how glad I am he’s doing so well.” That’s true. For as much tension there is with him and Jack, Daniel seems to want at least the best for him. Unsurprisingly, after hearing this, Jack breaks down in a flurry of tears and attempts to bear hug Daniel from across the booth. Attempts. Maddie, the saint she is, easily calms him down with a soft laugh and scolding. Daniel takes back the conversation, directing most of his questions at Maddie. Vlad has to admit for someone who didn’t know Maddie even existed, Daniel reads her well. He doesn’t ever trip over his words the way Vlad had when he first was introduced to her. He seems to have completely skipped over that awkward phase of his youth, much to Vlad’s jealousy. During their conversation, one of the regular waitresses finally comes to jot down their orders. Jack and Maddie take the lead, both ordering full meals of burgers and fries, as if anything else would satisfy Jack. Vlad orders his usual, then the waitress turns to Daniel, “I’ll have what he got, sans the coffee. Add a strawberry milkshake. Please and thank you.” He grins at the waitress and he can see the blush fill her cheeks. Vlad isn’t just a bit jealous.

Jack laughs heftily once she leaves, “Danny, where’d ya get all that charm from? Last I remembered you couldn’t even talk to any girls but lil’ Sam, nevermind flirt.” It’s Daniel’s turn to get embarrassed, he rubs the back of his head nervously.

“Ah well, it’s been a while.” He says vaguely. He didn’t sound confident in what he was saying, but Vlad didn’t dare say anything about it. Somehow, it’s easy to picture Daniel as a player, a Travolta of this decade. He couldn’t imagine him tripping over his words or becoming awkward around new people the way Vlad always has. He took so easily to Maddie, to even Vlad. Those weren’t easy feats as far as he’s concerned. Jack goes on about a story of Daniel asking a girl in his grade, some P name that Vlad couldn’t care to remember, and how he had come home sobbing because he wasn’t able to even get a single word out and ended up humiliating himself in front of the whole school. Daniel wasn’t anything short of mortified as Jack kept laying on embarrassing details. Suddenly Vlad was glad that he and Jack hadn’t known each other in high school, he couldn’t stand to hear his more embarrassing stories told out in the open like this. Daniel covers his face with his hands, “Please never bring up middle school again, oh my  _ god. _ ” Jack freezes a bit at the phrase, and so does Daniel after he says it. Daniel mumbles out a little apology and Jack awkwardly laughs it off. It’s confusing for a moment before Vlad remembers the faint outline of Ezekiel Fenton. Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain, right.

His father hadn’t been particularly religious, and nowhere near to the extent of the strict catholicism the Fentons were brought up on. Vlad thought that religion might have gotten in the way of some of the more morally dubious things he’d done, both in business and in his own household. Of course, Vlad has fuzzy memories of the Orthodox church his mother had gone to. She had been the more pious of the two, and up until her passing had been pretty insistent that Vlad and his younger sister attend on Sundays. After she was gone, his father hadn’t taken the time to drive either him or Nadia all the way for service, and over time, Vlad hadn’t dedicated himself to the faith too strictly. It was probably a good thing he didn’t, it wasn’t very easy to be upfront with any ties to Russia you might have at the moment, including practically any Eastern European religion. Vlad couldn’t count how many people would have the nerve to call him a ‘commie’ straight to his face after simply hearing his name. Including but not limited to Ezekiel himself. It wasn’t exactly a hardship, he’d never actually been assaulted after all, but he did find it irritating. 

The air at the table is pretty back to normal after Maddie mediates easily, instead directing some questions at Daniel. They forget about the whole thing. She smiles sweetly at him, “So, Danny, you can’t tell me you don’t have a sweetheart back at home, what’s her name?” She asks the question Vlad’s been simultaneously dying to know and avoiding at the same time. He notices Daniel tense, which was expected. He didn’t like personal topics at all. He wants to have more compassion for the situation, Daniel is obviously uncomfortable and Maddie can be just as dense as Jack on a bad day, but he leans in subtly to hear anyway. They’re interrupted by the waitress bringing their food to the table, the drinks, sandwiches, and burgers set in front of each of them. Daniel takes this time and composes himself quickly.

He sighs and leans back, “Actually, yeah I did. But not anymore, we broke up.” He’s curt with his response and immediately grabs his grilled cheese to start eating, promptly eliminating any further questions. Maddie takes the hint not to ask any further better than Jack did yesterday. There’s pain, real pain of a devastating loss in his voice. Whoever his girlfriend was, they’d been close. The relationship couldn’t have been as casual as he was trying to make it out to be. Vlad doesn’t know exactly how to feel about it, or if he should be feeling anything at all. He’s become way too invested in the life of an actual kid than he should be. He still couldn’t help the ugly feeling curling inside of him at the fact that Daniel was so obviously captivated with her, even if they were miles apart by now. There were only a couple of special connections that warranted longing over someone over so much space. Vlad softly slaps his cheeks, this wasn’t any of his business. Just as he was about to finally focus, a delighted moan comes from beside him and he ends up seeing Daniel with a mouthful of grilled cheese and his eyes sparkling in wonder, “Holy crap this is the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had, thanks for the rec, Vladdie.” There’s plenty of things about this that should cause Vlad to go off the deep end, mainly the fact that Daniel had taken to calling him ‘Vladdie’ too, but his voice gets caught in his throat. Daniel looks so happy he can’t say anything.

Both Jack and Maddie share a laugh at the exclamation. And also maybe at Vlad’s face because he’s sure he looks like a tomato. The rest of the lunch goes without so much drama. Vlad would never admit to sometimes glancing over to see Daniel contently sipping at his milkshake as he talks about some sort of planetary body with Maddie. That’s when he learned that Daniel was going to major in Astrophysics, which Jack hadn’t specified before. It was the only topic of conversation so far he could tell Daniel thoroughly enjoyed, and he was practically going over all of their heads with the different terminology and how fast he was speaking. Vlad hadn’t ever thought too hard about astronomy before, the topic was never very interesting to him, but the way Daniel spoke about it made him think about heading to the library to do some basic research. If anything, just to be able to keep up with Daniel on the topic. Not for the first time, he can see a similarity between Jack and Daniel. It wasn’t as easy to get him to this point, but when Daniel was excited, he became just as much of a blabbermouth as Jack was. He was less loud, but just as talkative. Even if he didn’t understand it, Vlad thought he could listen to him prattle on about something called dark matter forever.

Maddie gasps after Daniel is finished explaining something about the stars, and turns to Jack, “Oh no! I totally forgot I had to go get the car looked at in the shop today. But you’ve got Danny with you...” Jack’s eyes light up. Ever since Junior year when Maddie had gone to the shop and gotten upcharged because the mechanics had assumed a woman wouldn’t know the pricing, Jack had insisted on going to her appointments with her so they didn’t try and cheat her again since then. Daniel watched with rapt attention as the other two argued, Jack insisting that he and Daniel could come along and Maddie explaining how guilty she would feel to hold them up. Daniel groans from beside him.

“How ‘bout Vlad and I just hang out while you guys do that? Unless he has something better to do?” They all turn towards him. He tries to think of what else he had to do. Study? He didn’t socialize much outside of Jack and Maddie, he didn’t have any other plans. He felt annoyed at the assumption, but he came to terms with the fact that Daniel was just adept at reading people.

He hums, “I don’t believe I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mister Vlad Masters thinks he's Jay Gatsby but he is in fact the World Renowned simp Nick Carraway of this story unfortunately. Ive decided the theme of this story now is subversion of perception so if danny seems too smooth its because he's not. this chaos of a plot is what happens when I don't do things the right wayyy
> 
> I'm very certain the typos are going to be everywhere so I'll have to edit and update this later when I don't have a headache


	3. Catcher in the Rye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time for some sickeningly sweet pining and emotional intimacy bros, it took me like forever to write the second part of this chapter but I'm feeling semi okay with it, enjoy I guess

Madison wasn’t a large place. It was most definitely larger than Amity Park by a wide margin, but it wasn’t any Chicago or even Milwaukee by any standards. Big enough to have a few of those chain restaurants that had been popping up exponentially and to have a superstore, but not big enough for those businesses to be open all night like ones in New York City did. Other than downtown, where there were a small variety of local clubs and bars, the entire city shut down by 8 PM, no exceptions. Even then the late-night establishments rarely stayed open all night, only daring to stay open past midnight on weekends when drunk college kids might find themselves bar-hopping on the weekends during the school year. But that wasn’t a hard and fast rule, either. Each establishment had different rules and different preferences for its customer base. Vlad hadn’t ever been too interested in the nightlife of Madison, he was never a partier. The few parties that Jack had dragged him to over the years, he tended to stay in the back with a sour mood until he left early or with a drunk Jack in tow. That was if Maddie wasn’t taking the honors of hauling him back to the dorm room. Either Vlad and Jack’s shared one, or sometimes Maddie’s. He had a feeling that was determined solely if Maddie’s own roommate was in her dorm or not.

It wasn’t just the nightlife he was ignorant about, but almost all of the ‘fun’ or ‘entertaining’ things Madison had to offer. He’d just never had a reason to think about it, usually, Jack and Maddie were the ones who explored and found all the hidden gems around town, and Vlad either stayed home or begrudgingly (only sort of) followed in their footsteps. He hadn’t found it particularly important to keep track of where they went. So in there rose his dilemma. He didn’t have a single recommendation for where the hell he and Daniel were going to go now that Jack and Maddie were pulling away from the diner. If he could ask Daniel, he would, but he knew even less about the town than Vlad did. It had seemed like such a great idea when Daniel was smiling at him and had that glint in his eyes like what he was saying was an inside joke, a moment belonging to just the two of them. He probably couldn’t have said no even if his common sense was working right now, but the point was that it  _ wasn’t  _ working and he had the thirty-second walk to the car to try and figure out what they were going to do. Of course, his brain had been absolutely short-circuiting ever since yesterday so even as he slides into the driver’s seat and is buckling himself in he doesn’t know where they’re supposed to go.

Daniel chuckles lightly to himself as he secures his own seatbelt, “So this is what the front seat looks like.” For some reason, Vlad can’t transfer the sentence into an actual sentence that his brain can handle. He knows Daniel had said those words, he knew what words he said, and he knew what order they were in, but the meaning was totally lost on him. He had absolutely no idea what Daniel was talking about. He didn’t mean to awkwardly stare at Daniel until he looked like he was about to burst into flames, but somehow, that’s what happened. Daniel lets out a nervous laugh and scratches the back of his head, “I, uh, just meant that I’ve only been in the backseat until now. Stupid joke, I know. Just forget it… uh so what did you have planned?” Vlad could swear the guy was putting him on the spot on purpose, just to make him squirm. But the more rational part of Vlad’s brain, the one barely functioning right now, told him that was the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. Daniel didn’t know his internal thought process no matter how good he was at reading people, there was no way he knew Vlad hadn’t ever thought to explore the place he’s been living in for the past few years.

Vlad chuckles nervously, trying to dispel the nervous energy that’s been consuming him, “I hadn’t really thought that far if I’m being honest.” Daniel’s eyebrow quirks a bit, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he puts his palm under his chin and his forehead crinkles in thought, obviously trying to think up something himself. Vlad suddenly wishes that he’d been more stereotypically cool during his college career, he doubts his studies would have suffered so drastically if he’d gone out a bit more. He had always made fun of those who had taken part in things like constant partying and drinking, but he’s never felt so boring than sitting next to a bratty teenager right now. Suddenly, Daniel snaps his fingers and Vlad can practically see the light bulb go off in his head.

“ _ Batman  _ came out last month, didn’t it? I heard it’s good, even if it doesn’t stick to the comics too much.” Daniel suggests. It takes Vlad a second to realize he’s talking about going to the movies. And also comics, what did comics have to do with anything? The suffocating expectations from his father made it so during his formative years he’d never been exposed to things like casually going to the movies or reading comics as he’d seen others do. Most of Vlad’s childhood had been occupied by lessons and excessive studying under his father’s tutelage, prepping him to be the one to one day take up the mantle of President of the company when his father could no longer run it. Something which had never been in his interest, which is why he was even here in Madison to begin with. Getting into an ivy league business school, following the path that was expected of him, that’s what his father  _ wanted  _ him to do. Which made it Vlad’s goal to do something absolutely unexpected as soon as he gained the ability to. He’d always had an affinity towards the sciences since he was a child, and it was his true passion to become the best in the field he chose, which ended up being biochemistry. UW-Madison happened to have a good program and the rest was history, he’d taken enough of the money from his father’s trust to him to last his academic career and hadn’t spoken to him since. And, in all honesty, he didn’t plan on speaking to him any time soon.

Vlad decided that he didn’t really care that this was out of his comfort zone. He’d come here for these new experiences, and while Jack had given him plenty of them, he’s realizing he never actually went out of that strict ritual he’d been stuck in his entire life. So he nods, “I wouldn’t be able to think of anything better.” So he puts the car in drive and they take off downtown towards the only theatre Vlad could remember being in town. Now that he thought about it, he might have gone there with Jack one drunken night last year, he tried to think of the movie they would have seen. He didn’t remember the contents much from his inebriation, though, he vaguely remembered the main actor’s name to be Bruce Something-or-Other. By the law of Madison not being very large at all, they arrive in only a couple of minutes, the silence falling between them comfortably. The movie theatre isn’t falling apart, but he’s certain he’s seen places better looking, at least aesthetically, in more bustling cities.

The marquee is up-to-date at least, he doesn’t think it was the last time he passed by it, and ‘BATMAN’ is slotted on the right side in big bold letters. Underneath the title ‘JUNE 23’ advertises the release date, but that was, in fact, almost a month ago as Daniel said. It’s not exactly filthy, but Vlad wouldn’t be able to determine the last time they had someone go up there and clean it up. There are leaves stuck in the letter slots and just enough water damage that he’s sure they haven’t done anything to it since the last time it rained. Daniel seemingly ignores the state the building is in and they move to walk up to the ticket booth. He stops a step before they get there, holding his hand up for Vlad to do the same to look around briefly. Vlad hovers behind him waiting for him to find whatever he’s looking for. The younger man’s eyes land on a sign near the entrance on the left of a bold outline of a cigarette, marking it as an appropriate area to smoke, “Do you mind? Before we go in, at least. You don’t have to come with me if you don’t like it, though.” He asks and points to the area.

“You smoke?” Daniel confirms his question with a nod and a disinterested hum and Vlad couldn’t hold back his shock if he tried, the question tumbled out useless for him to stop it. It shouldn’t have probably come as such a huge surprise, in truth. He’d already read up on a couple of studies determining smoking was on the rise. Statistically, Daniel was likely to have at least tried it once, but still, he didn’t seem like the type. His dad had only smoked expensive cigars imported from some other countries Vlad was sure he’d learned about in Geography at some point, he hadn’t really liked the smell or taste of those. However, Daniel had slid a pack of Camels that looked like it had seen better days out of his jeans pocket. Maybe it came as such a surprise because in the last day that he’d been there, Vlad hadn’t seen him light one up once. It wasn’t like anyone was going to stop him for it so there wasn’t a need to hide it. He questions Daniel about it as he trails him to the designated area, the biggest staple of nicotine addiction is the addiction part, he probably should have needed one right after the airport at least. 

Daniel considers the question as he lights his chosen cigarette, inhales, and slides the pack back into his pocket, “Jack’s got asthma so I don’t want to smoke around him, I’ve had a few in private.” He explains softly. Of course, Vlad knew, he’d seen the inhaler around their dorm and now their apartment for the past few years, but it wasn’t something he’d actively thought about since it never seemed to normally inhibit Jack’s activities whatsoever. Something in Vlad softens at the admission though. He’d been a bit reserved about Daniel’s less than subtle discomfort towards his brother, but he’d been thinking about Jack’s own comfort this entire time. Vlad wants to ask why, why he was upset with Jack but still trying to accommodate him at the same time? Why he even came here in the first place when he obviously had some unresolved grudge he was thinking about? But he doesn’t ask and just watches the graceful but methodical movements Daniel goes through. It’s a little hypnotizing, but Vlad decides right then that he doesn’t favor the smell of camels anymore than he does expensive cigars.

The silence from the lull in the conversation gets a little overbearing, urging Vlad to fill it somehow. The only thing he can really think of is the movie, “Well… what can you tell me about  _ ‘Batman’ _ ... I can’t say I know too much about it.” As soon as the words leave his mouth Daniel coughs, a cloud of smoke dispersing from his lips as he tries to breathe properly. He didn’t expect such a… visceral reaction. When he’s done choking on his own lungs and disperses the large cloud of smoke with his hands he turns and gives Vlad an incredulous look.

“You don’t know about  _ Batman? _ Like for real?” Once again, Daniel looks a lot like a kid with his wide eyes and mouth open. Well, he would, if it wasn’t for the cigarette still dangling from his fingers. Vlad feels a blush grow up his neck at what sounds like a pointed accusation. It’s not his fault he wasn’t raised with those things as his fingertips, he just didn’t know. He mumbles out an embarrassing excuse of a similar nature, unable to look Daniel in the eyes. He would always be the first one to admit he didn’t know  _ everything,  _ but it never felt good to confront someone who knew more about something than you did. But he feels Daniel’s hand on his shoulder and hears his soft laugh, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a douchebag. But hey, I brought some of my comics with me from Amity so if you like the movie I can show you the real stuff. Only if you want, though.” When Vlad looks up, Daniel is right there. It’s not the first time he’s thought that he’s kind of pretty and Vlad doubts it will be the last, but he really is pretty. For a man, a boy really. Vlad has to shake the thoughts out of his head before they even start, what is he even  _ thinking?  _

He coughs into his shoulder and moves to the side, away from Daniel, “That sounds nice.” That should have been the end of it.

“Sounds like a date.” Daniel laughs and moves to put out his cigarette into the ashtray provided on top of a trash can in the corner. He doesn’t give Vlad time to even sputter as Daniel’s back in just a second to grab his wrist and drag the older man to the ticket booth. He doesn’t look like he’s willing to expand on the conversation any more than Vlad is. When they arrive, he lets go of Vlad’s wrist and plants his elbows on the ledge of their side of the glass on the booth, greeting the employee happily. Daniel is the one who takes the lead getting the tickets, which would have been fine if he hadn’t started blatantly flirting with the young woman who’s behind the counter. It’s playful and teasing, in exactly the same tone as he did to Vlad a second ago. And now that he’s thinking about it, he spoke the same way to the waitress at the diner. The only exceptions so far had been Jack and Maddie. Vlad sighs, he’s probably been making mountains out of molehills again, Daniel just had a flirty personality. 

He’s surprised when Daniel pulls out his wallet and plants down several dollar bills onto the counter and through the glass to pay for both tickets, giving Vlad a cheeky wink when he does. Flirty or sadistic, Vlad was having a hard time deciding. Either way, the girl was falling for it hook, line, and sinker. The entire display was getting cheesy enough to look away, and that’s exactly what Vlad did. She slides the tickets back to him demurely, Daniel thanking her and adding ‘sweetheart’ at the end of his sentence. It was the type of thing that, usually, when it was said it was meant to be condescending or borderline harassment. But when Daniel said it was almost a gut feeling he wasn’t saying it in a bad way, and seemingly the girl agreed as she looked more flattered than uncomfortable. They spend way too much time talking about frivolous things Vlad can’t force himself to care about and in the end Daniel walks away with a string of numbers scripted on the back of his hand by a pen.

Vlad doesn’t voice his distaste for Daniel’s habits, again, not his place to do so. So he bites his tongue. Danny saunters into the lobby and immediately starts a beeline for concessions, Vlad following and he begins to talk, staring at the number with an odd look, “You know I never used to be able to do something like that, but hey, I’m getting pretty good at it, huh?” Vlad wants to be mad that Daniel made him wait an extra 10 minutes in the heat outside so he could smoke and hit on another teenager, but when he shoots Vlad that infectious grin somehow trademarked by the Fenton boys, he can’t really find the heat anymore. He seems so… proud of himself. They get in line behind an older couple, in front of them a group of teenagers who are taking their time ordering candy and popcorn, ‘extra butter’. Which means they’re going to be waiting a while. While Vlad finds himself getting more than easily irritated at such a situation, Daniel keeps talking like nothing’s wrong, “There used to be this girl, Jack talked about her at the diner and stuff, Paulina. I thought I loved her or something in junior high, like I was  _ obsessed  _ with getting her to notice me. I tried hitting on her like that and I only ended up embarrassing myself for the rest of my life. It’s kind of a trip I’m sort of good at getting girls to like me now.”

He thinks Daniel wants to say more, or embellish, or something, but he doesn’t continue with that story, changing the subject before Vlad can really pry for more about Paulina or his mortification surrounding her. His tone wasn’t as closed as it was like when he talked to Jack about sensitive things. Though he was absolute when he veered in the direction of talking about something to do with a ghost story about a kid named Poindexter who, apparently, killed himself due to bullies back in the sixties and now haunted his high school with a vengeance. He claimed, very valiantly as the lines moved up and the old couple began a startlingly long order, that he’d seen the kid himself and could attest the story was true. Vlad openly called him out on the bold-faced lie, in all of his years of research he could never find proof of ghosts existing and he wasn’t going to start believing now. Of course, both Jack and Maddie were hardcore believers, and would often drag him to the ‘haunts’ around town to try and prove it to him, but he’d never seen something that couldn’t be proven by logic. He’s never pushy or tries to make them feel bad about it, but he doesn’t give up his ground on the subject. He sees more similarities between the brothers when Daniel puffs out his cheeks in disapproval as Vlad shoots him down. Jack pulled the same crap… and there are the puppy eyes. They both must have taken a class on ‘How to Make Vlad Into a Sucker 101’ because as soon as he sees them he softens and mutters something along the lines of agreeing to disagree on the subject. Daniel takes the truce in stride, probably because the old couple finally got their two large popcorns and drinks, along with a package of Twizzlers and another candy he couldn’t see hidden behind the stacks in their arms  — how much could one old lady eat, really? — and the cashier had finally called them up.

They get popcorn to share, no drinks, and Vlad can’t say he minds. It feels nice, just to chat as they find their way to the theatre that’s playing their movie. Daniel is awfully easy to get along with, even when he’s being flirty or petulant. They talk about the Packers, or more so Vlad’s love for them, and Daniel breaks out in a fit of laughter. Usually, it would be embarrassing to have someone so blatantly mocking him, but he just ends up laughing too. Daniel explains that he’s not into football, or sports at all really, that was always more Jack’s thing. They even talk through the trailers as if they’ve known each other longer than a day. Vlad had never warmed up so rapidly to someone before, it took months before he and Jack fell into actually talking and they lived together that whole time. They eventually quiet down when the title screen appears in big bold letters and a dramatic chord. The scene fades into two very obvious criminals conspiring on a roof and Vlad gets his very first taste of Batman.

* * *

It’s sort of like a post-impressionist mess. Like some giant satire of Seurat. Vlad never paid that much attention to that Art History class his father had insisted he take in high school, just enough to get good grades but not nearly enough to retain anything important. But this, he thinks, is maybe what art is supposed to be about. Only if he could have experienced this before he’d gotten a B on his final essay. It’s only been two weeks since Daniel had carved his place into Vlad’s life and it’s like he’s always been there. For the most part, things are the same. Daniel is a quiet presence in the house and makes an effort not to step on anyone’s feet, which sometimes has the effect of at least Jack forgetting he’s even there sometimes. The brother’s relationship is… better, but not by much. At least Daniel can now stay in the room with Jack for more than twenty or so minutes. Still, Vlad, Jack, and Maddie still do all the things they usually do. They remain grouped together, and Daniel doesn’t insert himself into their dynamic. He’s surprisingly shy, for how bold he can be. He doesn’t seem lonely, at least not in a way that can be fixed by hanging out with them, so they all leave him to his devices.

Right now, though, is one of the moments that make the difference between his life Before Daniel and After Daniel. Jack is out and has been for the afternoon, presumably off somewhere with Maddie. Which means that when Vlad comes home from the library Daniel is home alone and therefore looks so completely relaxed bathing in the afternoon light. His torso is halfway out the living room window, a lit cigarette resting lazily in one hand and an open book sitting on the sill. He’d gotten sort-of used to Daniel’s nicotine habit, but for the first time, the image invokes something poetic in him. When Daniel notices he’s come home the boy looks up and spots Vlad in the open doorway he gives a soft smile and greets him, “Is it that late already?” He looks out the window as if confirming his own question and nods, “I didn’t even notice.”

Daniel takes that as a cue to close his book, revealing the read of the day as  _ Catcher in the Rye _ . Not one Vlad had read before, but he’d heard of it a couple of times. Vlad closes the door behind him and begins to shuck off his shoes and any layers he had on. Not that he had many, the heat too unbearable. Much like all of the books Vlad had seen Daniel flip through, his copy is in a bit of disarray. None of them are quite as marked up as his Gatsby, though. Each time Vlad catches him reading and questions him about the book Daniel has a similar answer. Still, Vlad sits across him on the couch, resting his chin on his fist, and makes the same inquiry he always does, “How’s the read?” It shouldn’t give him this much enjoyment to see Daniel’s nose twitch in displeasure. Vlad already knows the answer, but he likes to hear it for some reason.

“It’s terrible, I hate it,” Daniel says definitively, also leaning into their small routine. Even though he speaks with just about as much conviction as he can, he’s smirking as he takes a drag and exhales out the window. He throws the book down and it skids across the floor, expressing his low opinion of the thing. Vlad doesn’t even need to prompt him anymore to explain himself, he just lays back and begins an almost oddly passionate rant, “Holden is a terrible person. He tries to make himself such a victim but all his problems are his own fault. Maybe people would want to be near you if you weren’t such an asshole all the time, dude.” From experience after discussing the books he has read, Vlad knows Daniel’s analysis can be a bit single-faceted. While he’s never objectively wrong, per se, he was judgemental and critical and tended to reduce characters and stories to their flaws. He rarely tried to look into motivations or grant leniency to what operated outside of his own morality. Not to mention he, at his core, was an idealist, he’d often give suggestions of the way a story  _ should  _ have gone, what the characters could have done to be better.

Since Vlad hasn’t read it, he can’t exactly debate Daniel’s view this time around. So Vlad just chuckles and shakes his head, “You don’t like any of the books you’ve read.”

Daniel huffs, “That’s because I hate reading. It blows.” He’s said this before, with no less certainty each time he does, and always confuses Vlad in the process. It wasn’t strange for younger people to dislike reading, but he’d never met someone so determined to do something they clearly didn’t enjoy. There was also a difference in his attitude between traditional reading and the times here and there Vlad caught him flipping through a comic book, of which he had an unsurprisingly large collection. He wasn’t nearly as critical of the characters or stories and Vlad had the sneaking suspicion Daniel just had a penchant towards virtuous hero stories that were lacking in his collection of classic literature. He didn’t  _ have  _ to read those books, is the point. He could spend his time reading through more comics, but he doesn’t. He sits there and glares at the pages as his eyes look fluidly over the words.

Vlad shifts closer. He hasn’t questioned him about it yet and something tells him it’s going to be an intimate conversation. Daniel’s eyes follow Vlad as he leans towards him. Vlad doesn’t miss the way his Adam’s apple bobs and how the younger's eyes are trained on him like a hawk, “If you hate it so much why do you do it? I’m sure you’ve already read through most of the required reading for your prerequisites, you could probably pass the classes with your eyes closed. Outside of classes, you don’t have to read literature anymore.” The sun, now just about setting, reflects an orange light across his cheeks, the strands of his wild hair, hitting across the dull embers of his almost finished cigarette. As Vlad said, it was the experience of viewing a painting straight out of a museum. Daniel doesn’t look too offended at his presumptuousness, he seems more so contemplating than anything. Like he asked that same question a thousand times.

He eventually shrugs, putting the embers of his cigarette out in the ashtray he sat in front of him, “I dunno, the books were gifts so I sort have to, I think.” He mumbles his way through it, a slight blush on his cheeks. Vlad grins.

“Oh? Some girl who didn’t bother to learn your preferences, I assume.” He says it more snidely than he’d meant to. He could only assume it was Daniel’s mystery girl he’d apparently abandoned back in Amity Park, a thought that made him more than a little uncomfortable. Vlad doesn’t dwell too much on that. He’s learned that when it comes to Daniel it’s just better not to take things so harshly or think about it too hard.

Daniel snorts at that and shakes his head, “No, not a girl. My, uh, best friend, or my old best friend I guess, his uncle runs a used book store. He would get one for me every now and then when he had the money. I never told him I hated the books cause I was just grateful he was getting me something and then suddenly it’s like five years later and it was a little awkward for me to break the news.” The face Daniel makes it breathtaking. He’d never seen someone look so wistful. His smile was soft, fond, but his eyes narrowed in a way that made it look like he might be about to cry. As if the memory was happy but overwhelmingly painful at the same time. Vlad doesn’t know what takes over him but he bridges the healthy gap they’d kept between them, setting a gentle hand on Daniel’s shoulder to comfort him. At first, Daniel jerks harshly, panic fills every single one of his muscles and he looks like he might hit Vlad or run. Or both. And then it’s gone before Vlad can contemplate lifting his hand off and Daniel just relaxes, “Thanks, Vlad.” He shows his gratitude by pushing back into his palm lightly.

“No problem, Daniel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh, I've been trying to make Danny all ~mysterious~ but I literally suck at subtly so hard omg. Also I'm actually Hating the pacing of this fic so far so there might be a small time skip next chapter. I sort of have a game plan for this fic now a bit? Since I've been thinking about it more now. It's still like the wild west of my fic ideas though, the plot's pretty open to change the only solidified thing rn is Danny's backstory which I have mostly timeline. But learning that is still a bit away. Anyways! I hope everyone enjoys and I want to say I am a whole man whore for comments so comment literally anything please I beg for validation.


	4. Just the Two of Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry updates take so long everyone, writing like this sometimes really zaps my energy oof.  
> For this chapter I realized I sort of have an issue with romance stuff in stories with revolving literally everything around the main two so I wanted to put in some Vlad being pals n stuff and having his own life. Also showing that Vlad drinks his respect women juice apparently. I still had to add in my boy Danny though. I wrote this on 0 sleep so I hope it's still a good read!

Vlad didn’t spend all of his time with Daniel Fenton. Sure, it sort of felt that way these past few weeks. Maybe that was just because their friendship was new and Daniel had this way of being both exciting and soothing at the same time that made it just easy to be near him. He had also taken up the mantle of a ‘loner’ similar to Vlad himself, due to his unwillingness to go on ‘adventures’ (if that’s what you’d call them) with Jack and Maddie. Daniel was simply easy to be around and talk to, doing things with him didn’t take the energy doing things with the dynamic duo always did. But no, Vlad wasn’t  _ always  _ around Daniel. He still had a fairly healthy social life, well on his own terms anyway. He often spent time with Jack and Maddie, obviously. And both of them were extremely social people with large friend groups so, by proxy, he spent time with those people too. He spent time with Harriet and Jack’s friend Ferris who was just a little out there. It was a rumor his experiments in the lab blew up more often than not and that’s why his hair went off in so many different directions.

Of course, it wasn’t always like that for Vlad. In fact, his entire life, Vlad had considered himself bad at being friends with people. Something about making connections and trusting people had come hard and he didn’t truly understand what those words meant until he’d gone off to college and met Jack. He had always been prideful, and it was hard to admit it was his fault that people didn’t like him, so he didn’t. ‘Insufferable’ was the word one of his classmates had whispered when they had thought he was too far away to hear. Now that he looked back, hindsight being 20/20, they were probably right. He’d been extremely unapproachable all those years of his schooling career. In a private school where  _ everyone  _ was rich, his wealth didn’t subtract his more negative qualities and he didn’t blame his classmates for being standoffish when he was so harsh with them in the first place. At one point he had convinced himself that he liked it better that way, alone and distrustful rather than well-liked by his peers. He had tried not to think it embarrassing that his only friend was Nadia, and that was only because she felt obligated to be around him. He was no kinder to her than anyone else, however. He’d sent several letters to her back at the estate apologizing for the way he treated her despite her kindness. She hadn’t responded to any of them.

It was in this way Vlad would forever be indebted to Jack. Even though upon their first meeting he called him a fool, called him plenty of other names he wouldn’t dare repeat, the man never backed down. Of course, it was obvious by now Jack was pretty used to being verbally berated on many fronts, it was still touching that no matter how hard Vlad attempted to shake him off, Jack came back twice as passionately. Sort of like a teddy bear of a Hydra. His enthusiasm was plenty unkillable. Not to mention under all that simple attitude, Jack was pretty intelligent. He doubts Maddie would have given him the time of day if he wasn’t. Some of his inventions were, for lack of better terms, certifiably genius. Well, the actual mechanical parts of the inventions anyway. There wasn’t much demand for a toaster that exclusively toasted baguettes, but by god did Jack figure out how to make it happen. It was so well constructed his professor was, by the specifications of the project syllabus, required to give Jack a passing grade for the machine. Very begrudgingly though.

It was actually in the period time after what was unofficially deemed as the ‘Miraculous Grade-A Toaster Incident’ by a majority of the science and engineering departments (An incident that incited plenty of tired and overworked undergraduate students to recreate the results in their own way, handing in projects of unreliable usefulness only bound by the constructs of a vague syllabus to the dismay of many professors), that Vlad figured out why Jack and Maddie were very much destined for each other. From their first few conversations, Vlad had thought himself madly in love with Maddie in an unrealistic way. Perhaps because she made him feel safe, or just that she was intelligent and able to speak her mind. Traits he’d always found desirable in other people. But he attached himself in such a suffocating way he was surprised she still had anything to do with him now. While everyone else was congratulating Jack on his feat of perceived laziness (however untrue that assumption was), Vlad was actively attempting to sabotage his relationship. They hadn’t gotten together in the official sense, but anyone who knew the two was aware the end of their courting and pining was neigh, including Vlad. He got continuously more desperate to win over Maddie’s affections that she, the observational woman she was, had threatened to cut him off completely if he continued to act the way he was. It had been like a bucket of ice water dumped itself over his head. Maddie’s blatant and harsh rejection had come as a cold shock. Before then she had always been so kind, patient, supportive… motherly. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he couldn’t shake it. Coming to terms with how genuinely  _ pathetic  _ that line of thinking was. But that had been it, hadn’t it? Why he imagined his and Maddie’s closeness more so than any actual romantic settings. He no longer felt ashamed of his desperation for a maternal connection he’d previously lacked, but he always regretted the way the confusion had made him act.

That had been his wake-up call in terms of his relationship with Maddie. But he found out not too long after that not only were his feelings for her misunderstood but even Jack and Maddie’s entire relationship. He had thought them hilariously incompatible. After all, Jack was nothing but a bumbling buffoon who wouldn’t know subtly if it hit him in the face and Maddie was an admirable and distinguished scientist building her way up the ladder for herself and women everywhere. There was nothing connecting those two types of people. Except there was because his perception was wrong. Jack wasn’t stupid and Maddie wasn’t to be put on a pedestal. It was the first time the two of them did a joint project together and Jack came slamming into their dorm room, ever the excited golden retriever of a person. Of course at that point Vlad had wanted nothing to do with Jack, still nursing his wounds of embarrassment and self-pity about Maddie’s rejection and his realization. But he also hadn’t had enough energy to refuse Jack, so he took the prototype in his hands and almost did a double-take with surprise. It was quite a simple thing really, so simple it was odd no one had thought about it. A handheld device for easy and automatic injections. Jack had explained that Maddie thought of the application of the device, it was supposed to auto-generate and dispose of needles, no need to grab a new syringe for each injection while avoiding cross-contamination. Their thoughts were to streamline vaccines and other medical practices that required one-shot injections, you could vaccinate an entire room of people quickly and effortlessly. The device was an accumulation of both of their strengths and goals, it was the perfect symbol of their soulmate-like relationship. A week later, true to her feminist ideals, Maddie asked Jack to officially begin dating. To which he replied, quite deftly, that he thought they already were. And somehow, Vlad found it in himself to laugh.

It would be a lie to say it was easy to fix their slighted relationship, even if Jack wasn’t very aware it was so broken to begin with. For a long time, Maddie was suspicious and guarded around him, understandably so. He hadn’t known she could be so petty and sly. As cheesy as it sounds, Vlad learned the true value of both friendship and trust then, how valuable they were and how difficult it was to build it back up once it’s been broken. He was in a thankful position being Jack’s roommate and for Jack’s general obliviousness, meaning he could better insert himself back into their lives to prove himself to Maddie again. As they say, persistence is key and Vlad is anything if not persistent. His friendships, his  _ closeness  _ with the both of them was something he valued, it was something worth fighting for and something he wanted to fight for. He realized, too, that he had never liked being lonely as he’d always told himself, he didn’t want to be the same bitter person he’d always been. Thankfully, Maddie noticed his changes and took them into account. Eventually, she forgave him and their friendship was since then better than it ever was before. Something built on the right reasons rather than misperceptions and misunderstandings. His life the past few years has been the happiest it had ever been before he’d met the two of them.

For the first time since the summer of ‘89 began, Vlad finds himself at a party. Those two were the lights of his life, but that didn’t mean he could always keep up with their highly active lifestyle, even now. Jack could run up the walls all night, Vlad usually ran out of fuel halfway through. He only agreed to the ‘Back to School’ frat party (an obvious ploy just to get drunk) because Jack had started to call him a square again and he was adamant to put that to a stop immediately. Daniel, of course, opted out with little argument from Jack. Apparently, the man had a sensible side  _ somewhere  _ and claimed he’d rather not get his little brother into the heat of college life and parties so early. More so into the crazy world of underage drinking. If only Vlad got the same leeway, but instead of staying at home discussing classic literature for the third time this week, he had to endure music pumped from speakers placed and wired strategically around the house. And he couldn’t even drink away his troubles in case Jack needed a way home.

“Don’t look so down, Vlad.” A hand came up to his shoulder and he peered down to find a familiar red perm. Maddie was smiling gently like she always did and Vlad leaned into her touch. Maddie at least  _ tried  _ to understand his hesitance about these things, but he could see her similarities to Jack when she just… couldn’t understand it. It was comforting to know that she had stayed back to make sure he was okay, though. Jack had bounded deep into the Alpha-Beta-Something-Or-Another house as soon as they got through the door. Despite her attention, he doesn’t really feel much better about the whole situation, causing her to sigh and retract, “Hey, don’t worry about Jack tonight, okay? My roommate's out with that weird biker dude tonight so I can bring him back with me. If you get back to the apartment early enough maybe you can even catch Danny before he goes to bed.” She winks. Vlad  _ knows  _ she’s not implying what his brain immediately goes to. Maddie isn’t like that, isn’t one to assume and accuse that way, but maybe Daniel’s casual flirtations have really gotten to his head.

He knows Maddie is just saying she observed that they’d gotten… close. Which was true, he and Danny often had days where they would go to the library and study or read. Others where they would get some coffee and pastries at a downtown cafe on their own without telling anyone. There had been a few days where they’d come back to half-panicked Jack being soothed by Maddie who hadn’t realized they left together to just… hang out. They’d even once just laid on a blanket in the middle of the park, soaking up the sun like cats. Daniel wasn’t someone he felt pressured to be around, the company was enough for both of them. Even if Vlad’s social life was now indefinitely better than it ever had been, he still didn’t have many close friends he spent time with alone. Surely Maddie would have noted that with eagle eyes.

He lets out a sigh and shakes his head, “Thank you, Mads, but I think I’ll stay for a bit and let Jack see me around a couple of times. I truly couldn’t take another month of complaining about me not getting out enough. I’ll keep that in mind, though.”

Maddie nods, “Alright, just try and have a bit of fun, okay?”

“I promise.” He gives her a quick side hug before letting her off to enjoy herself. He wasn’t so stupid to think that those two didn’t need to unwind like this sometimes, fun and letting off steam just meant different things to Vlad. That was no reason to hold either of them back. Though it was less daunting knowing he wouldn’t have to haul Jack into a car on his own when he inevitably blacks out at some point in the early AM. Maddie was better at coaxing Drunk Jack to do things anyway. With that concern off his shoulders, he heads to the outskirts of the main living room where a large amount of the party seems to be, grabbing a solo cup full of liquor of indeterminate origins on his way. He still had to drive himself home but he wasn’t a lightweight and he didn’t plan to drink more than the cup in his hand. One sip proves it to be some cheap beer that makes him wrinkle his nose.

Scanning the room, he quickly spots Jack through the kitchen archway dancing on a table that looks like it’s a wrong movement away from giving out underneath him. At first, a sliver of anxiety runs up his spine and tells him to go and tell that idiot to calm down for a second, but then Maddie is at the side of the table saying something that looks sickeningly sweet to him. He gets down with a boisterous laugh Vlad could hear even over the music. Next to Maddie stood Harriet, already attached to her side for the time being. They caught each other’s eyes briefly, Harriet sending a suspicious glare and Vlad returning what he thought was a friendly wave. That woman had… mood swings to say the least. It wasn’t that their relationship, if you could call it that, ended very badly, but more that they never probably had a good one in the first place. Curse desperate Vlad for attempting to have a relationship with  _ anyone  _ just for the sake of having one. Maybe this was another one of those things he was fooling himself about, but he did truly feel happier without all that drama and baggage romance caused. Not everyone could have the picture-perfect relationship Jack and Maddie did. Going over there while Harriet was there was probably a lost cause for tonight, but he didn’t find it too disappointing. Ferris, the crazy man that he was, wasn’t too far from Vlad. Just as usual his hair was spiked up, not even from gel but what seemed like the natural pull of the universe. He was telling some sort of wild story beginning with him supposedly being bitten by a radioactive rat. It’s when he starts calling himself the ‘Rat-Man’ that Vlad decides the guy is high out of his mind and so are the continued listeners to his tale.

Several other students of varying departments crowd the house. He didn’t know many others outside of his own ‘nerd-circle’ so finding respite in them probably wasn’t in his future. That is until he hears a sweet voice over the crowd, “Vladdie!” He’s tackled from the side, causing him to lurch and spill just a bit of his drink. He has to set it down in fear he could be jostled more. He suppresses a groan at the familiar presence and the use of that infernal nickname. Don’t get Vlad wrong, Kimberly is a nice girl. She’s getting a degree in something for television, he can’t remember it right then, but he knows she plans on getting onto the local news station as an anchorwoman. Which, when you look at Kimberly from looks to personality, seems like the perfect goal. She’s nice and bubbly, if not a little deft, which would usually be fine if she didn’t track Vlad down every time they were in the same place. She’s also pretty, with bright blonde hair that women in fashion magazines had to bleach theirs to achieve, and what Vlad guesses is a nice figure. Jack seems to think so anyway, with how many times the man tried to set the two of them up. Vlad thinks she’s definitely good looking, but hardly his type. No one seemed to have updated Kimberly on that though. At first, Vlad thought he’d made it clear he had no romantic or sexual intentions with her likewise, but that also proved to have gone over her head. She’s already hanging off of him, though, and Vlad suspects the next twenty minutes are going to be spent trying to detach her from his person. She’s grinning and her eyes are foggy enough that he gets she’s already completely wasted, “I have been looking for you  _ everywhere,  _ Vladdie-Cakes! You haven’t been to the last few parties.” She ends her sentence with a pout and head-tilt that might have been cute if it wasn’t Kimberly. His mind briefly goes to Daniel, if he made that face Vlad might move a mountain.

As soon as the thought enters his head Vlad recoils and shakes it to try and get whatever that thought was out. He hadn’t even emptied a quarter of his cup, but maybe he’d still had too much. He focuses instead on Kimberly and clears his throat, “Kim, it’s nice to see you again.” He tries to say it politely, at least. After all, she wasn’t anything more than annoying, and that didn’t warrant him being very mean to her for. She giggles like he just told the funniest joke in the world and all he can think is he might actually hate all drunk people. He knows that he probably doesn’t need to explain himself to her, and she probably won’t remember a thing he says, but he does, “I’ve been busy lately. Jack’s younger brother moved in and I’ve been… taking care of him while Jack goes to parties. You know how it is, he’s protective of his family.” That wasn’t exactly the truth. Sure, he spent most of those nights with Daniel until the boy turned in and Vlad made the trip to pick Jack up from wherever he’d gone. It wasn’t so much the babysitting job he was describing and more just them continuing to enjoy each other’s company. Kimberly’s eyes, however, suddenly sparkle with admiration.

“Ohhhh my god Vladdie! You’re such a sweetheart, that’s so nice of you!” She elongates each and every vowel she says and pushes against him harder. He tries to bite down his annoyance more and more, reminding himself that Kimberly is nice and just drunk, she’s not in the right mind to be thinking about her actions. He chuckles and steps away to the side. She just clings and follows him. He’s about to be sterner when the song changes and she giggles excitedly, “I love this song! Let’s dance!” She doesn’t give him the chance to refuse before she drags him into the herd of drunk college students with an iron grip on his arm. He was buzzing with how uncomfortable being so… close to everyone there was. Somehow the music was at least a couple decibels higher in the crowd, or everyone else around them was just being that noisy with their screaming and yelling. It made his head ache. There was nothing he could do short of ripping her off his body and storming away, which definitely would not be a great look on him, of course. He tried to calm down with Kimberly’s body grinding against him, the blaring music in his ear, and all the bodies sandwiching him between them. But all it felt like was a losing battle.

It all culminated in him turning his head. Just when he felt like he might calm down and enjoy himself, two thin hands with perfectly polished nails grabbed the back of his neck and forced his lips against theirs. He immediately recoiled from Kimberly, honestly trying to fight the bile threatening to come up his throat. She tried her hardest to keep him attached to her, holding out for when he’d give in, but he didn’t stop lightly pushing against her shoulder and attempting to separate them. Eventually, she got the hint and pulled back with a confused tilt. He couldn’t stop the shaking, “I-I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression, but I don’t see you in that way, Kimberly.” He thought she might not have heard him over the noise or her lack of sobriety, but then her mouth opened for a second, maybe in shock, before a cataclysm of emotions flitted through her face quite openly. She looked angry for a moment and he thought she might actually hit him. Which he might deserve. But then she just looked sad, pouty.

“Ah, Vladdie… really? Am I not-”

He interrupts her before she can go on, “There’s nothing wrong with you, Kim, I simply don’t feel that way. You’re very beautiful, just not my type.” When a sweaty body crashes into him he quickly realizes this really is  _ not  _ the place to be having this conversation. He gently wraps his hand around her wrist, giving a small tug to prompt her to follow him towards the door. He was hot, uncomfortable, and overall upset, there was no way he was staying after this conversation was over. She didn’t really protest, which he took for consent. As soon as he rushed through the door and the cool summer air hit him he was able to take a much-needed breath. It really was the perfect night, weather-wise. Daniel would probably tell him it was too hot or too cold, he generally had something to complain about no matter what they did. He shook his head and turned back to his current audience. Kimberly looked like she was about to start sobbing. Sadness, the drunk girl had decided on sadness. He couldn’t, and didn’t want to, fight the deep sigh he let out, “Did you listen to what I said in there?” She nods numbly so he continues, “Then you know that this isn’t your fault. I know Jack said… some things a while ago, but Jack doesn’t speak for me. Trust me, you are incredibly attractive. I just don’t feel the same way you do.” She looks a little more sobered now than she did inside, and she seems to be taking in the information.

After a couple minutes of silence between them, she gathers the courage to respond, “I understand. T-Thank you for being honest… a lot of lesser men would have just taken advantage of it.” Somehow, that was the most cohesive Vlad had ever seen Kimberly express herself. Maybe the whole dumb blonde thing was an act, but that didn’t really change anything. She was still swaying, though, which didn’t mean she was completely mentally sound. Either way, she set a hand on his shoulder and gave him a wobbly smile, “I’m gonna go back in and try to dance away my heartbreak… night, Vlad.” True to her word, once she says goodbye she stumbles inside the house. He finally relaxed completely, not even realizing his posture had been that tense that whole time. He sort of felt like a liar when he told Daniel he didn’t have moves for the ‘ladies’, he hadn’t even thought of Kimberly when he said that. But she was just about the only one who was so passionate about catching his attention. The reason why, well that was a question that probably wasn’t going to be answered anytime soon.

He checks his watch to see it was already a quarter after midnight. He hadn’t exactly expected he would leave early enough to catch Daniel before he went to bed, but he’d been hoping. There was no way he wasn’t asleep by now. His car was parked a couple blocks down from the house to avoid the congestion down the residential street, but he didn’t mind the walk. He could only hope that finally Kimberly had not only gotten the message but remembered it too. It didn’t matter too much, he probably wouldn’t see the girl for another few months if he could try to help it and by then she might have finally moved on to someone else. He finds his car parked remotely, only surrounded by the cars of the good citizens of Madison that were way smarter than him and his friends and actually asleep by now. He decides to keep the windows down as he drives down the quiet streets, the radio playing a soft jazz channel he had it set at before. Thank god Jack had been riding with Maddie from her place. He couldn’t have stood blaring rock as soon as he turned the thing on when he was so damn tired already. The cool summer air mixed with the soft noise of a variety of brass instruments. He could admire the artist’s dedication to the craft, jazz was a difficult sound and atmosphere to master. He bobs his head as the instruments phased out and the radio host took over.

_ “And that was Tom Harrell’s new single Sail Away, a nice and relaxing hit any cool cat could get down to. I’m Harris Beatman, your go-to guy for all things Jazz and this is WORT 89.9. Next up for my lovers out there, a favorite classic of mine, you guessed it, my faithful listeners, ‘Just the Two of Us’ brought to us by none other than my man Bill Withers. So sit back, grab onto your special someone, and let the words flow through you.” _

Vlad’s hands grip the steering as soon as that familiar riff washes over him. Hearing a song like this had never invoked something in him before, but now he feels himself swaying along with Withers’ soothing voice. He thinks about the ridiculousness of him being moved, especially after how tactless he was with Kimberly. What ‘special someone’ did he have to listen to this with? He thinks Daniel would probably find this whole thing undeniably cheesy, not only the song but Vlad wondering how he felt by a simple love song. He finds a smile on his face as he thinks about the things Daniel would say, probably something bitter about how love like that doesn’t exist. All the while as he daydreams about fictional characters finding happier endings than their authors had blessed them with. He would probably have that stupid little smirk on his face the entire time, talking like he knows everything, too stubborn to admit he could actually be wrong. Or to admit that he knew he was wrong. Sometimes he wonders if he’s ever met someone so utterly uncompromisable in his life. By the time the song runs its course and another one takes its place Vlad isn’t finished thinking about Daniel. It was true that he had a life outside of him, he spent arguably  _ most  _ of his time away from the teen. But he thinks that he wouldn’t mind if he ended spending more.

He parks the car outside the apartment block, dimly lit by street lights sprinkled around the property. He’s only a little disappointed when he looks up and sees the lights inside their apartment completely dark, just as suspected. He hadn’t been getting his hopes up but the thought of seeing Daniel laying out the window, a pillar of smoke billowing out from where he sits was what little Vlad could hope for. Maybe then he could tell him all about the Kimberly situation, in which Vlad would no doubt get mercilessly teased. He chuckles softly as he unlocks the door to the apartment as quietly as possible, he could always tell Daniel tomorrow morning over coffee. Except when he walks in something feels off. Everything is just a little too cold. Even if Daniel wasn’t often someone who left much of an imprint on a space, usually there was a general  _ feeling  _ when something was there. The entire apartment felt completely empty. The panic comes immediately. Daniel couldn’t have gotten in trouble, nevermind  _ hurt,  _ the one day he was gone. It wasn’t possible. He rushes to close the door and deposits his keys onto the counter without care. He practically trips around the corner to get to Daniel’s room, uncaring if he might wake the boy up. But of course, when he swings the door open the place is as cold and empty as the rest of the apartment. Shit. 

It sort of feels like his entire world has just spun off its axle. Just about the time he’s about to completely lose his composure and call every single person he knew if they’d seen a dark-haired teenager running about, he hears the front door swing slowly open and heavy footsteps stumble through. At first, his mind tracks straight to Jack, which what  _ hell  _ that would be, but the thought quickly diminishes. Maddie had assured him they’d be together and the steps were heavy, but not quite Jack heavy. He runs back to the front of the apartment. At first, he almost actually faints in relief when he sees the boy, but then he gets a better look at him. He’s wearing a loose button-up, the top three of them not even buttoned up and showing off the top half of his chest. Vlad didn’t even know he  _ owned  _ something like that. He’s swaying, just like the others at the party, sharing that same vacant idleness that only someone at least tipsy could maintain. He was bent over the kitchen counter by his back, facing completely away from Vlad, and probably hadn’t even noticed him yet.

“...Daniel?” He doesn’t really trust his voice, but he’s apparently loud enough to interrupt Daniel’s stupor because the boy yelps out a curse and almost trips over his own legs. He apparently had more grace than most drunk people because he doesn’t tumble down, only stabilizes himself, and then directs his attention towards Vlad. It’s then that he proves Vlad’s earlier assumption with a cute pout and tilt of his head. Like he was slowly trying to figure out what was going on. Then he snaps out of it and realization dawns very obviously on his face. Vlad brings his hand up to rubs at his temple, fighting off an impending headache from the utter whiplash. He was actually worried about that little shit! He tries not to come out harsh, but ultimately fails as he speaks through gritted teeth, “Are you actually  _ drunk  _ right now? Are you serious?”

Now, most people in Daniel’s predicament, when faced with the man literally housing them mad at them, would lie. Probably try and pass it off as them being tired and loopy. Very obvious lies, but anything to try to get out of the bad situation, but Daniel just looks up and away while folding his arms across his still mostly bare chest and says the most stupid thing Vlad’s ever heard in his life, “I thought you and Jack were gonna be out all night or something.” No excuse, no begging or pleading, no nothing. Just… stubbornness. How he expected anything different was beyond him. And just when he thinks this night couldn’t get any worse, he notices it. During this entire confrontation, he’d been desperately looking as far away from Daniel’s exposed chest as he could. But with his arms now crossed and drawing attention to the open space of his collarbones, he sees them. They were clear, even in the darkness of the cold, cold apartment. The largest damn hickies Vlad’s seen splattered all across the expanse of the lean chest. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what that meant. He… shouldn’t be causing as big of a deal about this whole thing that he was. He knew that. Daniel was technically an adult, he had the ability to make his own decisions. But those marks drove him crazy. After a moment of pure silence, Daniel relaxes and looks back at Vlad. He hasn’t stopped looking at the marks (what kind of girl even leaves those kinds of marks anyway?). When Daniel’s own vision follows his, the boy erupts in a pretty blush that travels all the way down his neck, right back to the damn marks, “S-Shit I told h-them not to- Shit-”

  
Vlad snaps, “I don’t care about whoever you were doing. I was simply  _ worried  _ because there was no sign of you when I came home. But I obviously worried about absolutely nothing. Next time leave a damn note, I’m going to bed.” The sight he turns away from causes a pang through his chest. Daniel looks like he’s actually about to cry, which doesn’t surprise him as much as he thought it might. Part of him wants to turn back down the hallway and tell the boy it’s  _ fine,  _ that he can do whatever he wants with his time, it’s none of Vlad’s business. But an even bigger, uglier part wants Daniel to feel bad about causing Vlad’s anger. It’d been so long since he’d been this bitter about something the feeling was overpowering and shocking, he couldn’t reconcile with it so instead of making things right he slams his bedroom door against the frame as hard as he can, desperate to get this shitshow of a night over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bro this entire time Vlad is like sooooo close to figuring out literally anything about his own feelings but apparently his gaydar is broken not only for Danny but himself. Vlad "why am I thinking about this guy during a love song" Masters everybody. It's mostly a socialization thing? If I haven't made that clear, he hasn't really thought about his feelings in that way and obviously he really messed up with Maddie so he's sort of emotionally constipated at the moment.  
> And then we have Danny not making things easier by immediately being a hoe as soon as he had the chance I swear, I always asked why romance authors always made things so hard for communication between the characters but I sort of get it now x-x don't worry though, they're gonna try and help each other with both of their issues bc they're both suckers for each other.  
> I did hope my OC interactions were good, though? None of them are gonna become super storyline related, but I thought Kimberly was a good edition to clarify Vlad's feelings about some things. I honestly wasn't expecting to make him so nice about it, but I was trying to display his development on the "what-if he got over Maddie in a healthy way" route I've been using for his characterization. I did come up with like an entire backstory for Kimberly and why she was acting like that but it literally had no impact on the story so I didn't add any of it lol.  
> Any feedback is very well appreciated, see you all whenever I get the energy to continue again.


End file.
